Foundation Year in Humanities

Are you a student from the UK interested in studying Classics, English, History or Theology & Religion? Have your personal or educational circumstances meant you are unlikely to achieve the grades typically required for Oxford courses? If so, then choosing to apply for your course with a Foundation Year might be the right option for you.

The Foundation Year is free for students and is designed to be a one-year intensive academic course which will bridge any gaps between school and our academically challenging undergraduate courses. The programme is carefully designed to build and develop your study skills, subject knowledge and academic confidence.

A typical week

During your foundation year you will be expected to attend around five hours of classes per week, participate in regular meetings with tutors to discuss work, carry out independent research and you are likely to write at least one essay every two weeks.

Your time will be spent both on academic work for your Humanities programme and work related to the Preparation for Undergraduate Studies course.

In each term there will be modules which will lead to your degree pathway. In your final term you will complete an extended essay on a subject related topic of your choice, deepening your subject interest and building your skills in independent study.

You may also have the opportunity to learn a language or enhance your maths skills during the foundation year.

Tutorials are usually for around two students and a tutor. Classes are slightly bigger, and class sizes may vary depending on the modules that you choose. There are likely to be around four students in a class, however when the whole Humanities cohort is together, this may include up to 18 students. Lectures are a larger format again, and are likely to be delivered to the foundation year cohort (up to 50 students) as a whole.

Most tutorials, classes, and lectures are delivered by staff who are tutors in their subject. Some teaching may also be delivered by postgraduate students.

To find out more about how Oxford's teaching year is structured, visit our Academic Year page.

Courses

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Assessment

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Two courses are taken:

• Foundations in Humanities 1: Fame
• Preparation for Undergraduate Studies (including General Academic Skills, Communication Skills, Society and Culture)

Coursework: four essays